“When the Saints Go Marching in…”

…It’s almost as if this will all abruptly end by the sound of an alarm clock, flashing 7:oo am. But this is however, is no illusion. After 43 painstaking years, the New Orleans Saints have finally earned their first trip to the Super Bowl. Even though I’m not even a quarter of a century old, I can testify that it has been a long time coming, and by God that change came on January 24, 2010. For the majority of the team’s tenure in the NFL, the “Aints” (as they’ve been sarcastically referred as…) have been the butt of an enormous amount of jokes, as well as been the home of the “Paper Bag Boys”. But, after years of horrible seasons and a bit of bad luck, things are starting to go the Saint’s way. Through the past 4-5 years, our front office has made some intelligent decisions both in coaching and recruiting, along with lady destiny finally being on our side. A trip to the Super Bowl has been something that the fans of New Orleans have waited a long time to see, and unfortunately, some of them have died without being able to feel that joy.

In being a fan of the New Orleans Saints through thick and thin, the 25th of January was declared an unofficial holiday for all the WHODAT’s that inhabited the city. No one would go to work on the day after our boys finally got the trip to the big game in Miami. Now, the city has always loved and respected the Saints, but after Hurricane Katrina tore through the Gulf Coast in the summer of 2005, the citizens of New Orleans formed a certain bond with their players. Whenever they lost, we lost; but when they won… we all won. The boys in Black & Gold not only represented a sports team, but for us, they represented hope, change, and perseverance during times of adversity. I have always been one who never condoned, “tears of joy”, but on Sunday night; I definitely understood how the feeling of extreme happiness could drive even the most tough-hearted person to tears.

Now that the stage has been set for Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, the Indianapolis Colts won’t just have to go up against 11 men, but the thousands of New Orleanians that have supported the Saints throughout the years. It’s going to be an amazing game, and whoever plays the best game will surely win. Until then the citizens of the Gulf Coast have something to smile and be proud about. We’ve witnessed history in seeing the election of our first black president, and I for one, believe that we have room for one more miracle. See y’all in Florida in about 2 weeks…